How A Student T-shirt Design Contest Is Furthering Truth And Reconciliation

Every September 30 is now known in Canada as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Prior to 2021 and since 2013 the day was known as Orange Shirt Day to promote awareness of and education about the Residential School system and the impact it has had on Indigenous communities for more than a century. It is also Orange Shirt Day to honour the children who attended residential schools, as well as their families and communities. 

This year, the University of Regina’s ta-tawâw Student Centre and Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies collaborated on an Orange Shirt Design Contest open to all current or returning Indigenous students attending the U of R and its federated colleges. As part of the University’s continued journey towards Reconciliation, it was decided that the T-shirts would be designed and produced locally, in support not only of an Indigenous artist at the U of R, but also an Indigenous business in Saskatchewan. In addition, funds raised support year-round Indigenous student and youth programming through KHS. 

Brendan Desnomie, Visual Arts student in the Faculty of MAP here at the U of R, now has his winning artwork featured on this year’s KHS Orange Shirt Day T-shirts.

My design is for the children whose childhood and innocence of the world was stolen. I wanted to show footprints to represent the children who tried to escape. The handprints for the children who were forcefully taken from their families and never returned. Sweet grass for prayer and a mother to represent an undying love for the children. The children on the bottom are representing the children running to their parents/family - happy to see them, even if it was in the spirit world. — Brendan Desnomie, 4th-year Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance student and winner of the KHS Orange Shirt Design Contest

Desnomie started his journey as an artist through the medium of makeup. Once he became certified as a makeup artist, began his pursuit of a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts at the U of R and is currently in the final semester of his degree. Desnomie shared that he was inspired by his family to enter the contest. 

“Every single one of my aunts and uncles, as well as my mother and father, are residential school survivors,” says Desnomie. “So, this is close to my heart. My family got their children back but there are so many families whose children were never returned, and that future was stolen from them.” 

The idea for the contest initially started with Keenan Cummings, Transition Coordinator, ta-tawâw Student Centre and Alison Fisher, Coordinator, Student and Youth Programming, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies.

“We wanted to give local students here on campus an opportunity to highlight the gifts that they were given,” says Cummings. “But we also wanted to do it in an impactful way – to honour their ancestors, their mom, dad, aunties, uncles, who may have attended residential schools – to raise awareness, and do it through a beautiful art form.”

Cummings says that while it is amazing to see Brendan’s design on t-shirts around the U of R campus, it’s the story behind his design and having conversations about it that is the most important.

“When it comes to reconciliation, we need to look at what we are doing every day, not just on September 30,” he says.

Jordynn Pewapsconias BBA, BSRS’24, Indigenous Student & Youth Engagement Intern with the Faculty of KHS, coordinating the contest, from initial planning to unpacking the completed T-shirt order when it arrived.

“It was exciting for me to help bring this idea to life and hyping it up for Indigenous students to participate in,” says Pewapsconias. “From my perspective, I feel like being a part of this initiative was very rewarding, and I was happy to be a part of something that supports my Indigenous peers.”

For Pewapsconias, the contest was also a way for Indigenous students to feel supported, and know that they have a community within the larger campus community at the U of R.

“University is often a huge change for some, and in some instances, it can feel like Indigenous people are tokenized or it feels like reconciliation to some is like a box to check off,” she says. “With an initiative like this, I hope that Indigenous students feel like they are supported and know that we want them in university.”

After Desnomie was selected as the winner, Pewapsconias worked with Saskatchewan-based and Indigenous-owned XUSI Clothing & Screen-Printing. In July, the Faculty of KHS coordinated a pre-order of the T-shirts, and was overwhelmed by the response – ending up with 638 orders.

Honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by wearing an orange shirt. In addition, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Network is hosting the Orange Shirt Day Walk & BBQ at the mâmawêyatitân Centre on September 30.

The remainder of the proceeds from this year’s T-shirt sales supported KHS faculty programming for Indigenous youth, including the February Break Camp, Sports for Life, and the Indigenous High-Performance Camp that was held in July.

Desnomie is of Saulteaux and Cree descent, and he says that it feels nice to know that so many people will be wearing and appreciating his artwork on and around National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. And it doesn’t stop there, as he has also been asked to design a shirt for the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council two spirit group. 

“I love creating art for important Indigenous causes,” says Desnomie. “Thank you to the Faculty of KHS and the ta-tawâw Student Centre for choosing me as the winner and thank you to everyone who purchased a shirt. This is an important cause and it is important to never forget the children who were stolen.” 

A limited number of Orange T-shirts with Brendan’s design are available at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies in room CK170. The cost per shirt is $20 plus tax.

Banner photo: Orange t-shirts with Brendan Desnomie’s design can be purchased through the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies in room CK170. Credit: University Communications and Marketing